Zverev wins US Open as Shelton criticizes serving time rules

Alexander Zverev won the 2026 US Open men's singles title on Sunday, defeating American Ben Shelton in four sets, but the final was overshadowed by a dispute over serving time rules. Zverev secured a 6-3, 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-2 victory at Arthur Ashe Stadium, claiming his second Grand Slam title of the year after also winning the French Open. The match became contentious when chair umpire Marijana Veljovic instructed Shelton to take his receiving position earlier while Zverev performed his lengthy ball-bouncing routine. Zverev frequently bounced the ball more than a dozen times before serving throughout the tournament, and was handed a time violation during the fourth set for exceeding the 25-second limit between first and second serves. Shelton publicly criticized the rule requiring receivers to be ready before the server's routine is complete, calling it "stupid" in his post-match press conference. He argued that no athlete should be expected to remain in a crouched, ready position for 30 seconds while waiting for a serve. "I am not going to sit there in a ready position with my knees bent and tension in my body for 30 seconds while I'm waiting," Shelton said.